Coin sorter control mechanism



June 23, 1953 A. R. BucHHoLz 2,642,881

COIN soRTER CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Aug. 28, 195o Patented June 23, 1953COIN soR'rEn CONTROL MEoHANIsM Arnold R. Buchholz, Watertown, Wis.,assignorl to Brandt Automatic Cashier Company, Watertown, Wis., acorporation of Wisconsin y Application August z8, A195o, vserial N9.181,712

The invention relates to coin sorting machines and more particularly tocoin collection structures of such machines.

In most forms of coin sorting machines, the

sorted coins and usually counted coins are disv charged in differentdrawers or receptacles which have to be emptied by the operator whenfull. Sometimes these receptacles become so fullthat if they aredrawers, they cannot be moved, or if they are temporary coin storagespaces as in the collection structure shown, for example, in U. S.Patent No. 2,348,936, dated May 16, 1944, there is no indication thatone or lmore of these receptacles are full and should be emptied. Theobject of the present invention is to provide an electrically controlledsystem for advising the operator when any one of the coin storagereceptacles are full and also to preferably shut off the motor whichdrives the sorter when a coin storage receptacle becomes full, so thatthe operator does not have the duty of watching to see that the drawersare not overloaded. Without the control such as provided herein, thecoins pile up in receptacles and cause the oncoming coins to ultimatelyjam in their coin chutes to such an extent that ultimately there is astoppage with the result that when such stoppage occurs, the operatorhas to cease to wait on customers and has to tip the machine upside downto get these'coins extracted and free, and this invariably throws thecount off.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafterdescribed and more particularly deiined by claims at the conclusionhereof.

In the drawings: f n

Fig. l is a vertical sectional. View through a portion of the coincollection structure of a coin sorting machine taken on the line I-I ofFig. 2;

Fig. 2 is an elevation View of a part of the coin collection structureof a coin sorting machine and embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View of a control circuit embodying features ofthe invention.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a series ofreceptacles, .boxes or drawers, each drawer adapted to receive itssorted designation of coins from a chute 6 above the receptacle, therebeing a separate chute above each drawer into which the sorted coins aredischarged by lsorter mechanism of any suitable form which is usuallyoperated by an electric motor.

Each chute 6 includes a front side I and a rear side 8. Hung from theupper edge of the front side 'I of each chute 6 is a plate 9 having ahooked upper edge I0 engaging over said upper edge of 2 Claims.l (Cl.133%3) y said side l, said plate 9 being substantially coextensive inwidth with said side and being of a length to project below the bottomofthe chute and be normally carried at an angle to said side 'I as shownin Fig. 1 and carrying'a projection Il, here shownas a screw working ina suitable opening in the side 1.

'The chutes 6 and their cooperative receptacles are arranged in a row onthe frame of the sorter, and a U-shaped stirrup or lever L has the outerends of its legs I2 provided with pins I3 pivotally mounted in end wallsof the end chutes of said row,-the transverse portion I4 of this leverbeing disposed to engage the head I5 of the screw projection II of eachchute and also adapted to enfy gage parts of a control switch mechanismI6.

Referring to Fig. 3,'the numeral I1 designates a terminal plug forconnection of current supply wires I 8 and I9 with any suitable electriccurrent supply wires. The wire I8 is connected to a starter or on andoff switch 20. The wire I9 is A connected to one terminal of an electricdrive motor 2| for the sorter. The circuit through the motor iscompleted through the switch mechanism I6 by conductors 22 and 23. Asignal light 24 has one of its terminals connected by a conductoi` 25with the supply wire I9 and the other of its terminals connected by aconductor 25 with the switch mechanism I6.

The switch mechanism I6 is of a known double throw switch structure -bywhich the conductors 22 and 23 are normally connected together so thaton closing the switch 20 current' passes to the y motor 2| throughconductors I8, 23, 23 and I9 for operating the machine. 'When, however,one

of lthe receptacles 5 becomes loaded to such an extent that coinspassing down through its supply chute 6 act on its plate 9 to push thelower endof said plate toward the front side of the chute, the movementof this plate is transmitted through its projection I I to the lever Lwhose transverse porto wire I9, thus completing a circuit through the.

signal light 24 and advising the operator that one of the coinreceptacles is full. As soon as this receptacle is emptied of itscontents, the plate 9 causing movement of the U -shaped lever to motorcut-out position is free to drop back with said lever into the positionshown in Fig. 2, and the motor 2l is again operated through the restoredswitch mechanism IB to drive the sorter.

It will be noted from the above described construction that through asingle switch controlling lever and a single control switch mechanismwith auxiliary coin operated levers, one for each receptacle, thatthemotor is stoppedv and the signal lighted when any one of the receptaclesbecomes full. There is one receptacle 5 for each denomination of coinssorted by the machine.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited toany particular form or arrangement of parts except in soV far as. suchlimitations are included in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a coin sorting machinehaving a series of coin receptacles arrangedin a single row, one for each denomination of sorted coin, an electricmotor for driving said sorter, a current supply circuit for said motor,andra chutefor each receptacle to direct sorted coins tlfiereto,- saidchutes being arranged in-a row above the rowof receptacles, of a platepivotally hung from the tcpvof a side of each chute and extending thelength of said side and operable by the coinswhen lthey reach apredetermined height within the associated receptacle, saidv platehaving a-prcjection working through an opening Vin the side of thereceptacle from which it is hung, a control switch to cut off the supplyof current to the motor, and single switch operating means disposedexterior of and extending along the entire row of said chutes andadapted to be moved by any one of said projections, so that movement ofany one of said plates will move said control switch to motor stoppingposition.

2. In a coin sorting machine having a series of coin receptacles, onefor each denomination of sorted coin, an electric motor for driving saidmachine and a current supply for said motor, the combination of acontrolswitch in said supply circuit, and means for operating saidswitch to cut off the supply of current to said motor when any one ofsaid receptacles becomes filled to a predetermined amount with coinscomprising a single lever engageable with said switch and separateactuators for said lever comprising an auxiliary coin operated lever ineach receptacle havingV a partworking through an opening in the wall ofits receptacle and engageable with said single lever.

ARNOLD R. BUCHHOLZ.

.ReferencesgCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name 'Date 1,873,353 Sperling Aug. 23, 1932 1,892,790 SmelserJan, 3, 1933 2,348,936 Sprenger May 16, 1944 2,351,197 Francis June 13,1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 259,751 Germany May 13, 1913517,972 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1940

